Journey of the Olive #2 — Baby olives and pit formation

This is a picture of a baby olive. In orchard terms we refer to this as the fruiting or fruit set. There are generally three phases for olive growth. During this first stage, the olive is focused on the creation of its seed or pit. During this stage, we will continue to focus on the irrigation and fertilization of the trees.

At Bel Lavoro, we have more than 200 Manzanilla trees. The Manzanillas fruit in alternating years. Although some trees bear fruit each year — one year’s harvest will be significantly bigger than the previous. We walk the orchards mapping out which Manzanilla trees are fruiting and how large the yield is estimated. This will help us prepare for the harvest in the Fall.

The Chemlalis are the workhorse trees for olive production. The olives grow in clusters that look like grapes and weigh down the branches of the trees. Our Chemlalis are now five years old and are just in the beginning of their producing years.

Keep checking back as we continue to chronicle the life of the olive.